Ukraine has initiated the complex administrative and diplomatic groundwork required to execute the remaining phases of a high-stakes, large-scale prisoner exchange, aiming to repatriate a total of 1,000 detained citizens from Russian captivity. In a video address delivered late Saturday evening, May 16, President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the inter-agency teams managing the delicate negotiations and emphasized that the humanitarian operation remains a top sovereign priority.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Maintaining momentum after phase one The president’s remarks follow the successful implementation of the first phase of the agreement on Friday, May 15, which successfully returned 205 Ukrainian servicemen to sovereign soil. “We are not stopping, so that the next stages of exchanges can take place. This week was the first stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange. We are preparing the next ones. I thank those who are involved. We must return Ukrainians from captivity. We must continue to strengthen our ties with the world, our state, our people,” Zelensky stated. Zelensky added that specialized working groups under the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War are working around the clock to compile subsequent verification lists, cross-reference medical logs, and secure the necessary security guarantees from the adversary.